


why catch them all (if you can’t keep the ones you love)

by clicheusername5678



Series: Catradora Oneshots [14]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Kinda fluff?, Lame Trash-Talking, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Battles, Rival Trainers, the title is a brian david gilbert reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21702229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clicheusername5678/pseuds/clicheusername5678
Summary: "Hey, Adora."Adora whipped her head to find Catra, her best friend-turned-rival, standing in the tall grass. She already had a Master Ball in her fingerless gloved hand, and wore a fiendish grin on her face.You are challenged by Pokemon Trainer Catra!
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Catradora Oneshots [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1264781
Comments: 9
Kudos: 108





	why catch them all (if you can’t keep the ones you love)

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from brian david gilbert's perfect pokerap, which you should watch on youtube if you haven't already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cT6ULpScZA

"Be careful," Bow warned Adora as she headed for the tall grass. "Angella said Route 6 is intense."

Adora laughed. "I've got She-Ra! Nothing can beat a legendary."

The Best Friends Squad rounded a corner, facing a massive stretch of open wilderness. They adjusted their backpacks and boldly journeyed on.

"So, what do you know about Gym Leader Perfuma?" Adora asked Glimmer as she avoided a wild Dugtrio.

"Plant types, obviously," Glimmer answered. "She's—oh, man, I've gotta catch that Togepi, give me a minute."

Bow shoved Glimmer playfully. "Not if I don't first!"

The pair ran off to pursue the fairy-type Pokemon, while Adora remained in the grass. Right now, she only really needed a fire-type in her team.

The forest was peaceful and quiet, full of grass-types and ground-types. Maybe she could set up camp until Glimmer and Bow returned... She-Ra especially seemed to enjoy freedom from her pokeball. And Adora liked riding Mudsdale and Rapidash, when they allowed it.

The teenage trainer found a small clearing and began to assemble her tent. She hummed in concentration, narrowing her eyes at the complicated instructions that Bow knew by heart.

"Hey, Adora."

Adora whipped her head to find Catra, her best friend-turned-rival, standing in the tall grass. She already had a Master Ball in her fingerless gloved hand, and wore a fiendish grin on her face.

"Catra," Adora said, standing and patting the dust off her knees. "I haven't seen you since our battle in Salineas. Did it really take you this long to heal up your team?"

"I'm banned from half the Pokemon Centers in Etheria," Catra admitted proudly, "so yeah."

"Maybe if you weren't with Team Horde, people wouldn't see you as a threat to the peace."

"Aw," Catra purred, narrowing her eyes and readying her pokeball. "You wish, Princess."

Adora pulled She-Ra from her bag. It was on.

_You are challenged by Pokemon Trainer Catra!_

“Litten,” Catra grinned, “I choose you!”

Adora paused, shoved She-Ra back in her bag, and withdrew Luvdisc instead. Catra raised an eyebrow when Adora released the small water Pokemon.

“Adora, I’m touched,” she teased. “A heart, for me?”

“A type match-up,” Adora said, “for you.”

Luvdisc took Litten out in one critical hit.

“You know,” Catra said, rummaging through her bag, “I have to wonder why you’re not pulling out She-Ra.”

“Already said,” Adora bristled. “Type match-up.”

“Yeah, but She-Ra’s powerful enough to take anything out,” Catra reasoned. “I think you’re holding back, Adora.”

Catra released Luxray, an electric-type, and Adora already knew her Luvdisc was toast.

“What if I am,” Adora said as Luxray issued its own critical hit, “holding back?”

Electricity crackled in the air, and it wasn’t just from Luxray’s attack. Catra blinked. “What are you saying, Adora?”

“I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to defeat you.”

“You _pity_ me?”

Adora sighed. “I don’t know, Catra, maybe? I know you’re mad I left Team Horde, and She-Ra chose me, but I _wanted_ you come with me, so we could stay together, like we promised.”

“You left,” Catra said coldly. “You’re the one who broke the promise.”

“Fine,” Adora admitted. “I broke our promise because I realized Team Horde hurts people, and only She Ra can save the region. It’s my responsibility to help, and besides, I _want_ to do the right thing. But you chose to stay, and now you’re just digging your heels in. I don’t enjoy beating you, Catra, but I will when you’re threatening anyone’s safety. But right now? You’re just blowing off steam.”

_Adora used Painfully Accurate Observation. It was super effective!_

Catra snarled, her blue eye beginning to twitch. “This isn’t worth my time.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Adora insisted, her voice turning soft. “Leave Team Horde. You don’t care about them. Catra, I miss y—”

“CATRA!” Glimmer’s voice echoed in the distance. “Bow, Adora, she’s _mine!_ ”

Catra shook out her daze and pointed Arcanine in Glimmer’s direction. “Go for the shins,” she advised.

“Catra,” Adora groaned as her old friend laughed.

“You can say whatever you want,” Catra chuckled, “but it won’t change my mind. I’m not your Pokemon, Adora. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I never said—”

“And if you and She-Ra keep getting in Team Horde’s way,” Catra continued, “you’re gonna have to stop holding back. Because we will come at you will all we've got.”

“Adora!” Glimmer shouted from the grass. “She sicced her Pokemon on me! No, no, no bite! NO BITE!”

Catra looked at Adora challengingly. “You gonna get that?”

Adora shoulder-checked Catra as she passed by. “This isn’t what you want,” she said quietly, right into Catra’s twitching ear. Catra’s tail betrayed her, wrapping around Adora’s arm.

“Shut up,” Catra hissed, blush spreading on her face. “I… I’ve gotta go. Do Horde stuff.”

“Fine,” Adora responded. “Pay up.”

Catra rolled her eyes and passed Adora some cash.

_You defeated Pokemon Trainer Catra! You got $1500 for winning!_

“Thanks,” Adora smirked, shoving the money in her bag. “See you later.”

“Looking forward to it, Princess.”

“ _Pfft_ , okay, loser.”

“Fivehead.”

“Scoundrel.”

“Dumb, annoying, goody-two-shoes—"

“ _Kitten_.”

Catra shrieked in protest, her tail puffing up. “You—you can’t call me that… anymore!”

Adora couldn’t suppress a laugh, but when she noticed Catra’s sour expression, she reached out instinctively to calm her. “Hey, I’m just teas—”

“ADORA!” Bow shouted. “ARCANINE’S EATING GLIMMER’S SHOES!”

A smirk returned to Catra’s face as she pushed Adora’s hand away. She recalled Arcanine and shoved the pokeball in her backpack.

“See you later, Adora,” she said, Catra turning tail for Route 5.

Adora couldn’t stop herself from speaking up. “Uh, Catra?”

“What _now_?”

“Your backpack’s unzipped.”

Catra turned around and closed her bag, full of Pokemon, potions, berries, and revives. Adora didn’t like the idea of Catra being alone in the wilderness without those provisions.

The two trainers held tense eye contact for a few seconds until Catra turned away again. Her tail hung low as she retreated out of sight.

Adora tried to shake it—whatever _it_ was—by the time her friends returned from their mini-adventure.

“Adora!” Glimmer panted as she waved a pokeball in the air. “I caught Togepi!”

“Do you think Catra really would have let her Arcanine hurt Glimmer?” Bow asked, beginning to dismantle Adora’s hopelessly malformed tent.

“I don’t know,” Adora sighed. “Things have changed so much. I want to believe it’s still her, deep down, but—”

“I don’t care,” Glimmer interrupted. “She’s Team Horde, and besides that, she’s just mean. The next time we see her, I call battle dibs.”

Adora crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s fine by me. I don’t really like fighting her, anyway.”

Bow raised an eyebrow at Adora, who started to blush the tiniest bit. Glimmer didn’t notice, her eyes fixed on her Rotom Phone.

“We’ll be in Plumeria by nightfall,” she said. “As long as there aren’t any more run-ins with Team Horde.”

“Great!” Bow enthused, heading towards the path.

“Yeah,” Adora mumbled as she followed her friends. “That… would be awful.”

_Gotcha! Feelings were caught!_


End file.
